LLM Student Represents the School at the Nanjing Summer Law Culture Programme

‌Swansea Law School enjoys close ties with Nanjing Normal University Law. As part of the long-established collaboration between the two Schools, Nanjing offered a scholarship to one of our Swansea LLM students to attend its Summer Law Culture Exchange Programme (held from 10 August till 19 August 2013). The aim of the programme is to promote an exchange between Chinese and foreign law students, familiarising them with the ancient culture of Nanjing and its surrounding area and providing an opportunity for foreign students to understand chinese society and legal system in China.

A number of LLM students showed interest in this opportunity and following a rigorous application and interview process, Eirin Larsen from Norway was selected to represent Swansea at the Summer School. During her stay at Nanjing, Eirin attended a series of inspiring and interesting seminars and discussion groups with Chinese professors and local and international students. As part of the summer course, Eirin also visited the Court of Appeal for a criminal trial and a leading corporate law firm, as well as the picturesque City of Nanjing.

Commenting on her experience, Eirin said: “I have experienced China from both a legal and a cultural point of view. Taking part in the Summer School has taught me that law is so much more than just revising for exams: history and culture is so important for how law is developed, how law is perceived and respected, and the way of reasoning behind the legal rules. Learning about other legal cultures, differences and similarities is a great strength to learn more about our own legal culture. A great thanks to Swansea University for giving me the opportunity to take part in this experience, and a great thanks to Nanjing Normal University for the warm welcome and a fantastic experience”

LLM Student Receives Prestigious Ince & Co Award

Since their launch in 2000, the LLM degrees offered by the School of Law of Swansea University in international shipping, trade and commercial law have attained an enviable international reputation. In 2008, industry leader Ince & Co, which has long had a strong relationship with the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) at Swansea University, introduced an annual prize for the student who achieves the highest grade in the taught element of any of the LLM Programmes. In keeping with the close links between Ince & Co and the IISTL, the Ince Prize is awarded for work that has a direct connection with that undertaken by the firm.

The winner of the Ince Prize for the academic year 2012/13 was Mr Peter Rombaut. Pieter was presented with his award by one of the firms partners, Ted Graham, at a ceremony held at their London office on 12 July 2013. Pieter originally hails from Belgium and is currently completing our LLM in International Maritime Law. Pieter was a part of the Swansea Mooting Team which displayed an extraordinary performance during the 14th International Maritime Arbitration Moot Competition and has already secured a position in one of the leading law firms in Antwerp.

Pieter Rombaut was presented his Prize by one of the partners of Ince & Co, Ted Graham

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Graham wished Pieter every success in his future endeavours and commended the LLM Programmes at Swansea University on their successful mixture of academic rigour and practical orientation. Professor Baris Soyer, Director of Swansea LLM Programmes, emphasised that role that the Ince Prize plays in motivating LLM students at Swansea and thanked Ince & Co for their efforts in promoting further links between practice and academia.

Swansea Mooting Team Shines at the 14th International Maritime Arbitration Moot

Swansea Mooting Team composed of Mr Pieter Rombaut and Ms Georgeanna Palmer impressed the arbitrators with their legal knowledge and presentation skills at the 14thInternational Maritime Arbitration Moot which is organised by Murdoch University School of Law and hosted by Southampton University. Pieter and Georgeanna, both LLM students at Swansea, have been trained for the competition by Claire Hepworth, a LLB student who has recently graduated with a distinction, and Mr Sebastian Meyer, a PhD candidate and Research Assistant. This was the first appearance of Swansea in this competition but victories against the mooting teams of University of Law (England) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia) indicated how far the team has progressed in such a short period of time. Swansea lost narrowly to Singapore National University’s Mooting Team, which made to the grand final held in London at the Supreme Court on 12 July 2013.

Mr Pieter Rombaut and Ms Georgeanna Palmer getting ready for their submissions before the panel of arbitrators

Commenting on the competition, Sebastian Meyer said: “We are very proud of our mooting team and their performance in this competition. This was a stiff learning curve for all of us but it was gratifying to hear the positive comments made by the arbitrators with respect to the team’s performance. Swansea is a centre of excellence in terms of teaching and learning of maritime law and the team’s knowledge on salient aspects of law was a great testament to the education they have received at Swansea.”

LLM Team strengthened by the appointment of Professor Simon Baughen

Swansea University School of Law has confirmed its position as a premier UK law school for commercial and maritime law by securing the appointment of Simon Baughen from the University of Bristol. Simon, currently a reader at the University of Bristol Law School, will join Swansea on 1st September 2013 as Professor of Shipping Law. Simon's book on the subject, simply called Shipping Law, has run to five editions and is already well-known to academics and students alike as by far the most learned and approachable work on the subject. Furthermore, he is now the author of the very well-established practitioner's work Summerskill on Laytime. He has an extensive list of publications to his name, including International Trade and the Protection of the Environment. He has also written and taught extensively on commercial law, trusts and environmental law. Simon will be a member of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law, a University Research Centre within the School of Law, and he will teach on both the LLM and LLB programmes at Swansea. Simon's appointment follows the appointment of Professor Joel Trachtman from Tufts University to a distinguished research professorship and is expected to make a significant contribution to the School's research profile.

The IISTL is involved in the training of research students

The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) (Swansea University) in collaboration with the University of Bologna, the Rotterdam Institute for Shipping & Transport Law of Erasmus University, the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law at the University of Oslo and the University of Sassari co-organised the 2nd International Research Seminar on Maritime, Transport and Mobility Law (3-7 June 2013). The event was held at Ravenna, Italy and provided a forum to current doctorate students on transport law from across Europe to present their research and receive feedback from distinguished academics in the field, namely Professors Frank Smeele, Rhidian Thomas, Stefano Zunarelli, Henrik Ringbom, Krijn Haak and Michel Comenale Pinto. During the final day of the event, academics, who have recently obtained PhDs, presented papers with a view to show-casing current PhD students how their academic career and research have progressed since completing their PhDs.

Three members of the IISTL played an active role in the delivery of the event. Professor D Rhidian Thomas delivered a masterclass on "The Bill of Lading as a Document of Title at Common Law". He tirelessly attended all the sessions making constructive comments on how the students could improve their research. Dr. George Leloudas presented his doctorate research on "Risk and Liability in Air Law" and also commented on the topics that related to carriage by air. Mr. Sebastian Meyer, third-year Ph.D student and research assistant at the IISTL, made a presentation on the Rotterdam Rules which was entitled "What the Maritime Industry Really Wanted and the Problem Riddled-solutions They Got!".

The participants attending the event found it extremely useful and the IISTL and its members have been praised for the part they played in the training of the next generation of maritime lawyers.

Annual LLM Careers & Networking Fair

On 6 March 2013, the School of Law hosted its annual LLM Careers & Networking Fair which was attended by representatives from a wide range of local and international organisations including Eversheds, Morgan Cole, Holman Fenwick LLP, Ince & Co and Skuld, just to name a few. Over 70 of our LLM students attended the event which enabled them to meet and talk face to face with representatives from the organisations that specialise in different areas of Law including: commercial, intellectual property, shipping and transport, insurance, as well as international trade. The representatives gave valuable advice to our students on the recruitment process.

A notable feature of the Fair was the number of former Swansea LLM Graduates who are now employed at these leading firms including Jessica Wearing-Evans (Ince & Co LLP) and Kristoffer Snaprud Johannessen (Skuld P & I Club). Jessica Wearing-Evans undertook an internship at The Standard P & I Club as a result of our 2010 Careers Fair and is now a trainee solicitor with Ince & Co LLP. Jessica is currently based in their London Office, having returned from a three months internship in their Shanghai office last year. Kristoffer Snaprud Johannessen completed his LLM in Maritime Law in 2011 and was employed straightaway by Skuld P & I Club as Claims Executive. Skuld is a diversified marine insurer which offers a wide range of marine insurance products worldwide.

“ At Swansea we are committed to producing first class graduates who are equipped with skills required to find a job suitable for their skill-set. To this end, since last year we have been offering employability seminars to our students alongside their studies on Wednesdays. It is gratifying that our students are regarded in high esteem by international companies, insurers and law firms and It is also pleasing to hear the feedback from our students and the employers attending the Fair – once again the ‘usefulness’ of the event was the first thing that all mentioned."

LLM Students at the Career Fair interacting with the exhibitors

LLM Senior Lecturer Joins Leading Environmental Law Chambers

On 1 February 2013, Dr Richard Caddell joined Francis Taylor Building (FTB) as a member of the Academic Panel of this leading London-based set of Chambers. FTB has been long renowned as the UK’s leading set for environmental law and was named as Environment and Planning Set of the Year by Chambers and Partners in 2012. Its members, who include 20 QCs and a number of acclaimed juniors, are routinely engaged in the most important environmental cases within England and Wales and those involving the UK before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Dr Caddell, who is based at the acclaimed Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law within the School of Law, specialises in the law of the sea, marine environmental conservation, wildlife law and fisheries regulation and regularly advises intergovernmental organisations, national authorities and NGOs on aspects of marine environmental law.

Dr Caddell was formally welcomed to the team at FTB on 13 March 2013, at the launch of The Habitats Directive: A Developer’s Obstacle Course, edited by Gregory Jones QC. The book, to which Dr Caddell contributed a chapter examining the maritime application of the Directive, has swiftly established itself as the leading work on the EU’s flagship nature conservation legislation. Mr Jones QC observed that FTB’s Academic Panel, which comprises a select group of environmental law specialists from leading universities throughout the UK and Ireland, plays a key role in the activities of the set. Dr Caddell commented, “I am delighted to be joining such an outstanding group of environmental lawyers who are working at the cutting edge of their field. A key mission of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law is to bridge academia and practice and am greatly looking forward to assisting FTB in the challenging litigation landscape ahead”.

Internal LLM Mooting Competition Reached Its Climax on 27 February

Swansea Law School is devoted to enhancing transferable skills of its students and providing a first class legal education. To this end, this academic year witnessed the launching of an Internal LLM Mooting Competition. The Competition was managed by Ms Clare Hepworth, a final year law student with a vast expertise in mooting, and training was provided by Mr Andrew Perkins, a local barrister. 17 LLM students showed interest in mooting and after three rounds, two teams reached the final. At the final held at the School’s Moot Court on 27 February, Miss Yi Ming Liu and Miss Nora Mazlan faced Miss Georgeanna Palmer and Miss Ibukun Owa to moot the finer points of occupiers' liability. The competition was presided over by Professor Andrew Tettenborn, Professor John Linarelli and Dr George Leloudas and following strenuous questioning Miss Liu and Miss Mazlan were declared as the winners of the Internal LLM Moot Competition 2012-13 impressing the judges with their structured submissions. The judges identified Miss Mazlan as the best mooter on the day.

The LLM Mooting Teams with the judges and Ms Clare Hepworth

Commenting on the event, Ms Clare Hepworth said: “The inaugural competition attracted keen interest from staff and students alike and has established a solid foundation for future mooting endeavours within the School. It is hoped that we shall put together a formidable Swansea Law School mooting team consisting LLM and LLB students to take part in national and international competitions in near future. I am grateful to students who took part in this exciting venture. Every single one is a winner in my eyes as they will embark on their careers in near future hopefully benefitting immensely from this experience. I would also like to thank the Law School and LLM staff for their support.”

A Remarkable New Addition to the IISTL

‎The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) is delighted to announce that Simon Rainey QC has been awarded an Honorary Professorship by the University and will assume an active role in furthering our mission to build bridges between the IISTL, and the leaders of the legal profession we serve. With 25 years of commercial and maritime practice, Simon is one of the top maritime lawyers in London, itself the global leader in the maritime world. He took Silk in 2000, and has sat regularly as a Deputy High Court judge for the last five years. He is also on the intellectual side of the Bar, having published several academic articles and also written a very influential monograph, The Law of Offshore Contracts, now in its 3rd edition and extensively cited by courts and others. Apart from this he has contributed to several other books, such as Ship Sale and Purchase (LLP); The Evolving Law of Voyage Charterparties (Informa), A New Convention for the Carriage of Goods by Sea-The Rotterdam Rules (Informa) and Pollution at Sea: Law and Liability (Informa).

Commenting on this development, Professor Soyer, the Director of the IISTL said: “The IISTL is committed in bridging the gap between practice and academia and Simon’s appointment is a manifestation of our desire to achieve this objective. Simon is a gifted individual who has a lot to offer to practice, academia and also other members of the IISTL. We are all looking forward to working with him.”

New LLM course on Oil and Gas Law

New course on Oil and Gas Law launched to complement our internationally acclaimed LLM Programmes

The LLM Programmes in International Maritime Law, International Trade Law and International Commercial and Maritime Law at Swansea University are renowned as being among the very best specialist degrees of their type worldwide. Attracting a vibrant, talented and multinational cohort of students each year, the Swansea LLM Programmes are highly valued by employers for their strong mix of practical insight and academic rigour. Supplementing the already extensive range of courses on maritime and commercial law is a new LLM module on Oil & Gas Law
, commencing in September 2013.

The business of energy supply remains one of the most fundamental aspects of global commerce and natural resources law in the modern era. It also raises significant regulatory issues, as demonstrated by the Deepwater Horizon disaster and prospective exploitation of Arctic waters. This module will furnish students with a full appreciation of the legal framework governing oil, gas and renewable energy sources at the national, regional and international levels, as well as the specific environmental standards and unique commercial arrangements engaged by energy production.

This module will be taught by a team of acclaimed experts from the internationally renowned Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law at Swansea University.

The Winner of 2013 IISTL Prize is Rawi Meckvicha

At the end of each academic year, the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) awards a Prize to a LLMstudent submitting the best LLM Research Project as part of their LLMstudies. This prestigious Prize is designed to encourageLLMstudents to produce a research output of highest quality and is open for any Swansea LLM student writing their projects in the realm of international shipping and trade law.

The winner of the Prize in 2013 was Rawi Meckvicha who originally hails from Thailand. Rawi completed his LLM in International Maritime Law in 2012 at Swansea University. Prior to coming to Swansea Rawi studied Law in Thailand at Thammasat University. Rawi is currently working at Sukij Law Firm (Bangkok). Commenting after receiving the award Rawi said "It is a great honour for me to be awarded this prestigious award and I hope this represents the starting point of a successful carrier in the maritime industry for me".

Professor Richard Williams, a member of the IISTL and its Co-ordinator for External Relations, who presented Rawi's prize, commented: “Rawi took a brave decision some two years ago to put his career development on hold for a year in order to come to Swansea to attend our LLM programme since he believed that this would help that career development. His achievements have more than justified that decision since he made full and productive use of his time here and was able to leave Swansea not only with a Master of Laws (LLM) degree with Distinction, but also the IISTL prize. As someone who practised law for an international law firm for thirty years, I believe that this achievement and the personal links that he has forged here with students from all over the world will be of great benefit to him in his future career. I congratulate him warmly and wish him well in that career”.

LLM Graduate Is the Runner-Up in IATA Essay Competition

David Vajnai, who completed the LLM in International Maritime Law in 2012 with distinction, has recently been announced as the Runner-Up of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) - Constance O'Keefe Annual Aviation Law Writing Award 2013 for his paper "The Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Nelson and Others - Another European Nail to the Coffin of Exclusivity?".

Swansea Law School has been developing an expertise in this field since the arrival of Dr George Leloudas from private practice in 2011 and now offers a new module, Carriage of Goods by Sea, Land and Air, which covers essential aspects of air carriage. Dr Leloudas, who co-ordinated the entries to the Competition on behalf of the School, said:

"This is a very prestigious Competition and the fact that Swansea LLM students have been allowed to participate is a clear indication of how far we have gone as an institution in such a short space of time. We are very proud with David's achievement and we wish him all the best in his professional career."

Dr Leloudas is a member of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (www.swansea.ac.uk/law/istl) and is involved in the delivery of several training events for IATA. He also recently participated as yjr moderator of the intermodal panel in the IATA 8th Cargo Claims and Loss Prevention Conference which was held in Houston between 6 and 8th November 2012.

New LLM Degree in Intellectual Property and Commercial Practice

Swansea Law School has launched a new LLM degree in Intellectual Property and Commercial Practice under the directorship of Mr Andrew Beale OBE. This Programme offers specialisation in new and legally dynamic areas relating to the intangible assets of the business. It is estimated that 70% of a typical company’s value today lies in its intangible assets. Yet evidence would suggest that companies do not readily understand the nature of these legal assets nor manage them in an effective commercial manner, such that they are sometimes described as the ‘hidden assets’ of a business looking to operate in today’s global market place. Students following this new LLM will gain an in-depth legal knowledge of issues and the practical skills acquired will make them an invaluable asset to international commercial organisations. The Programme will not only have appeal to the aspiring practising lawyer looking for a high level career in an international law firm or multinational company but also for legal advisers to small/medium sized enterprises. Applicants will require a good undergraduate degree either in law or a closely related discipline. For more information please visit: http://www.swan.ac.uk/law/postgraduatestudiesllmphd/llmdegrees/llmintellectualpropertycommercialpractice/

New LLM Module

Carriage of Goods by Sea, Land and Air and the Depth of the School’s Academic Strength in the Field

Since the container revolution in 1960s, multimodal transport has acquired an increasingly significant role in international trade. Today, different modes of transport are used in container trade. Reflecting this key commercial practice, Swansea Law School is proud to offer a new LLM module, Carriage of Goods by Sea, Land and Air, that will enable students to engage in an in depth study on legal rules concerning these different modes of transport and interrelationship between them. This new module will be available as of 2012-13 and be taught by ProfessorRichard Williams, Dr George Leloudas and Dr Theodora Nikaki. All those involved in the delivery of this course are experts in this field and have published on the subject extensively.

A substantial volume of expertise is to be found within the Law School in this field, which manifested itself during the 8th Annual International Colloquium organised on the subject by the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law in September 2012. The event attracted the participation of leading judges, academics and practitioners from theUKand overseas. During the event, 5 academics teaching on theLawSchool’s taught master programmes presented papers. Professor Williams examined the future of multimodal transport regime under the Rotterdam Rules, while Dr Nikaki evaluated the extent to which the CMR Convention could be a model for a new international liability regime on multimodal transport. Dr Leloudas considered the interaction of air carriage with multimodal transport and Professor Andrew Tettenborn appraised the role of multimodal bills of lading, while Professor Barıs Soyer analysed the protection provided to cargo interests in the context of multimodal transport. The event was a great success and reinforced theLawSchool’s position as a leading centre providing education in maritime law.

IP Wales Offers Opportunities for LLM Students

IP Wales in corporation with Capital Law (a leading law firm based in Cardiff) are continuing to work closely to improve the advice and guidance given to businesses in Wales on how best to protect and maximise the value of their IP. An annual lecture is held by IP Wales and Capital Law aiming at Welsh businesses (particularly in the creative industries) for whom IP is an integral part of their operations, their professional advisors, IP practitioners and academics.

This year’s Annual lecture was held on 13 November at Cardiff. The key note speaker for the event was His Honour Judge Colin Birss QC along with Mandy Haberman, who shared her experiences as a successful inventor/ entrepreneur and Steve Codd, Head of Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office. Recently, Judge Birss ruled on the Apple vs. Samsung case, concluding that Samsung had not infringed upon Apple’s design rights. He famously commented that the Samsung Galaxy tablets were just not as ‘cool’ as the iPad. Colin Birss built up a successful practice as a barrister in intellectual property after he was called to the bar in 1990, appearing before the English Courts, the European Patent Office and the European Court of Justice. Appointed Standing Counsel for the Comptroller General of Patents, Trade Marks and Designs in 2003, Colin Birss took silk in 2008. In 2010 he left the Bar to become the new judge of the Patents County Court and Chairman of the UK Copyright Tribunal. His appointment to the PCC coincided with the introduction of new procedural rules in the Patents County Court. Mandy Haberman is best known for the Anywayup® Cup, which revolutionised the nursery market worldwide. Mandy successfully enforced her patent rights through the courts and, as a result of this experience, campaigned for improvement in the patent legal system. She has been appointed to numerous advisory committees for both the British government and the European Commission. She also served on the Project Board of the Business and IP Centre for The British Library and on the editorial board of Patent World, Informa Law.

LLM students with His Honour Judge Colin Birss QC and Mr Andrew Beale OBE and Professor John Linarelli

The School invited LLM students enrolled on the IP Asset Management Course to attend this event and facilitated travel arrangements to the venue at Cardiff. The LLM students attending this event found the experience an illuminating one which contributed to their education at Swansea. Mr Andrew OBE, Director of IP Wales, was very pleased with the contribution our LLM students made to the event and stressed that our link with Capital Law is beneficiary not only for local businesses and the University but also yields practical benefits for our students. Mr Beale is a Consultant at Capital Law and spends a day every week at their offices dealing with IP disputes.